Body found in landing gear at Dulles airport

Authorities are investigating the discovery of a body inside landing gear of an aircraft at Dulles International on Saturday.(Courtesy BAR Photography)

A body has been found in the landing gear of an airplane at Dulles International Airport, authorities said.

A ground crew assigned to a South African Airways airliner discovered the body of an adult male inside the wheel well around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a press release by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The aircraft, an Airbus A340, had been parked in a remote area of the airport.

The body has not been identified and will be turned over to the Fairfax County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, MWAA officials said.

The investigation is ongoing. Airport police are being assisted by the FBI and Customs and Border Protection agents.

The investigation has not impacted operation of the airport’s terminals or runways, MWAA officials said.